Player Discussion Jake Evans (Part II)

[DAChampion]

But you're getting way ahead of the question here.

Why would you sign a player specifically to trade him?

Who says they're going to want to trade him?

We're not answering the same questions because we're not asking the same questions. Not surprising this happens as threads can be a little chaotic.

To answer your question, I for one am not in favor of signing Evans just to trade him. I think that the Habs should try and keep him for as long as he's the best available option.

It's impossible to know how long that will be, but my best guess is: two years.

 

[DAChampion]

And you want to spend 4.5m per for 2 years on a 4th line center?

How good do you think Evans is?

Let's go through the logic tree.

#1: Evans is really what he's playing like this year: a luxury third line center. Kind of like Lars Eller and Jordan Staal in their primes.

If that is the case, then I'm wrong, he should in fact be signed for what many are discussing, 4 or 5 years at 4 or 5 million a year. That would then be a great deal. And people would look back on people like me suggesting that Evans be signed for two years, and laugh.

#2: Evans is an above average fourth line C or average/below average third line C.

That's what he's been for most of his career. In that case he should be able to help the Habs over the next two years. After which Hage, Newhook, Beck, Kappanen, Xhekaj, etc can take over the bottom-6 C positions. One spot opens up next year with Dvorak leaving, another spot in two years when Evans leaves.

The Habs also are not tight on cap space in this period.

 

[Habs Halifax]

How good do you think Evans is?

Let's go through the logic tree.

#1: Evans is really what he's playing like this year: a luxury third line center. Kind of like Lars Eller and Jordan Staal in their primes.

If that is the case, then I'm wrong, he should in fact be signed for what many are discussing, 4 or 5 years at 4 or 5 million a year. That would then be a great deal. And people would look back on people like me suggesting that Evans be signed for two years, and laugh.

#2: Evans is an above average fourth line C or average/below average third line C.

That's what he's been for most of his career. In that case he should be able to help the Habs over the next two years. After which Hage, Newhook, Beck, Kappanen, Xhekaj, etc can take over the bottom-6 C positions. One spot opens up next year with Dvorak leaving, another spot in two years when Evans leaves.

The Habs also are not tight on cap space in this period.

Good stuff. Other fans devaluing him to just a 4th line asset are reaching.

 

[DAChampion]

Good stuff. Other fans devaluing him to just a 4th line asset are reaching.

I'm honestly not sure how good Evans is. He has a combination of high IQ and weak physical tools.

You mention that stars tend to eat up most cap increases. That's true, but I'm not sure why that is, or if it's indeed the best strategy regardless of being the more utilized strategy.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'm honestly not sure how good Evans is. He has a combination of high IQ and weak physical tools.

You mention that stars tend to eat up most cap increases. That's true, but I'm not sure why that is, or if it's indeed the best strategy regardless of being the more utilized strategy.

A good 3C and very strong 4C.

Evans has earned the right to use his UFA leverage. This is more about his UFA leverage and wanting his bag of money vs the looming cap increase. It's almost impossible to project what a 3C average cost will be in the next 3-6 years. It boils down to how much Evans want to stay and how much the Habs want him to stay.

Gorton/Hughes are not giving out max bloated deals for a 3C. Evans might feel mistreated like Danault did. I get that vibe... not exactly the same but I do get that vibe. He is being started 80% in the D zone. That's very high and above average for this type. It was like that with Danault too.

 

[417]

I'm honestly not sure how good Evans is. He has a combination of high IQ and weak physical tools.

You mention that stars tend to eat up most cap increases. That's true, but I'm not sure why that is, or if it's indeed the best strategy regardless of being the more utilized strategy.

Because they get the most money, they set the ceiling for all players.

But role players have a ceiling of their own, and that specific ceiling for that specific type of player will also rise.

Either way, I think people worry way too much about overpaying players.

Last year everyone was sick over Josh Anderson and his contract, he was playing like shit and making 5.5M/yr.

This year he's playing much better and suddenly no one is talking about his bloated salary.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

I can't believe how we are circling around here
The second he goes back to his normal shooting percentage and the icetime he should deserve, he's gonna be a 20 point player

Anything above 3m and 3 years or more , will be a terrible contract.

If your best aspect as a forward is to be good When you don't have the puck , that's pretty pathetic

 

[ahmedou]

5 winning game goals this season. We got 10 points because of him.Tied for 3rd most in the NHL on winning game goals this season.

Leading in PK minutes (forwards) this season. Leading in PK minutes (forwards) for the 2nd season in a row.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I can't believe how we are circling around here
The second he goes back to his normal shooting percentage and the icetime he should deserve, he's gonna be a 20 point player

Anything above 3m and 3 years or more , will be a terrible contract.

If your best aspect as a forward is to be good When you don't have the puck , that's pretty pathetic

He's zone starts are 80% in the D zone. Give the kid a break. Do you know how rare that is? We did it to Danault as well. Not saying Evans is on par with Danault but he is being obsessively used in defensive coverage against the top lines from other teams quite often. That counts for something in the NHL.

Stop evaluating a player like Evans on points only. Come on man... you are better than that. He's not worth $4M+ and we would agree but why do we always deflate it more than what it is. There is middle ground here.

Actually, we are using Evans in more D zone coverage than we did with Danault. Danault was only around 80% on our cup run. Most of the other sample size was 60% and that's more like the norm in the NHL for defensive centers.

We are not building a F N NBA all star team here with no D

 

[Habs Halifax]

5 winning game goals this season. We got 10 points because of him.Tied for 3rd most in the NHL on winning game goals this season.

Leading in PK minutes (forwards) this season. Leading in PK minutes (forwards) for the 2nd season in a row.

80% Defensive zone starts as well. I don't think most fans understand how high that is.

In the past, he played with trash. Fans calling him just some 4C is the real trash.

 

[417]

He's zone starts are 80% in the D zone. Give the kid a break. Do you know how rare that is? We did it to Danault as well. Not saying Evans is on par with Danault but he is being obsessively used in defensive coverage against the top lines from other teams quite often. That counts for something in the NHL.

Stop evaluating a player like Evans on points only. Come on man... you are better than that. He's not worth $4M+ and we would agree but why do we always deflate it more than what it is. There is middle ground here.

Actually, we are using Evans in more D zone coverage than we did with Danault. Danault was only around 80% on our cup run. Most of the other sample size was 60% and that's more like the norm in the NHL for defensive centers.

We are not building a F N NBA all star team here with no D

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

He's zone starts are 80% in the D zone. Give the kid a break. Do you know how rare that is? We did it to Danault as well. Not saying Evans is on par with Danault but he is being obsessively used in defensive coverage against the top lines from other teams quite often. That counts for something in the NHL.

Stop evaluating a player like Evans on points only. Come on man... you are better than that. He's not worth $4M+ and we would agree but why do we always deflate it more than what it is. There is middle ground here.

Actually, we are using Evans in more D zone coverage than we did with Danault. Danault was only around 80% on our cup run. Most of the other sample size was 60% and that's more like the norm in the NHL for defensive centers.

We are not building a F N NBA all star team here with no D

Im not evaluating for points only thats the point. He's outplaying himself on his contract year. I couldnt care less about Danault , he was overrated. Let's not make a 4th line center a messiah if we trade him. He can kill penalties like 75% of the league.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Im not evaluating for points only thats the point. He's outplaying himself on his contract year. I couldnt care less about Danault , he was overrated. Let's not make a 4th line center a messiah if we trade him. He can kill penalties like 75% of the league.

He's having a good contract year yes but he's not just some 4th line center. He's a good 3C and a very strong 4C. Calling him just some 4C is just not accurate. You are reaching to devalue. MSL is putting him up against other teams top lines.

Danault is not overrated. He's very good at what he does. You need guys like Danault and Evans.

Like I said, there is middle ground here with Evans. I trust Gorton/Hughes will manage this well and if Evans want's to test UFA, we let him. We are not going to give a bloated contract for one very good season. They will look at the last 3 years vs just the 1.

 

[yianik]

Ideally Evans signs for 3 years as that will be perfect timing for Beck, Kapanen and even Hage. But I don't think he will sign for 3. So 4 or 5. I can live with it. I can livebwith 4 better. We are climbing out of the bottom of our U in the rebuild and given that Dvo needs to go and our young guys are still down the road, we really need Evans. In 3-4-5 years he can be shifted to wing. And AAV of $3.5M is good for everyone.

If Evans wants over $4M and we are offered a 1st, goodbye Jake.

 

[DAChampion]

Im not evaluating for points only thats the point. He's outplaying himself on his contract year. I couldnt care less about Danault , he was overrated. Let's not make a 4th line center a messiah if we trade him. He can kill penalties like 75% of the league.

If killing penalties was easy, nobody would actually care about power plays.

 

[salbutera]

 

[Captain97]

In my mind he's basically new Lars Eller. Lars Eller made 3.5 million like 8 years ago. Evans making 4 is probably fair al things considered.

 

[Toene]

I would be very comfortable giving him 4 × 4.5M, even 5 x 5M. The cap is going up, Evans is a homegrown talent, a center, who offers consistent effort, stellar defensive play and scores some timely goals. I'm the first to gush over prospects and I want to leave room for them, but Evans is a net contributer who has his place on this team.

 

[Sorinth]

How good do you think Evans is?

Let's go through the logic tree.

#1: Evans is really what he's playing like this year: a luxury third line center. Kind of like Lars Eller and Jordan Staal in their primes.

If that is the case, then I'm wrong, he should in fact be signed for what many are discussing, 4 or 5 years at 4 or 5 million a year. That would then be a great deal. And people would look back on people like me suggesting that Evans be signed for two years, and laugh.

#2: Evans is an above average fourth line C or average/below average third line C.

That's what he's been for most of his career. In that case he should be able to help the Habs over the next two years. After which Hage, Newhook, Beck, Kappanen, Xhekaj, etc can take over the bottom-6 C positions. One spot opens up next year with Dvorak leaving, another spot in two years when Evans leaves.

The Habs also are not tight on cap space in this period.

If he's worth 4.5m for the next two years then I very much doubt the guys listed will be able to replace him. Furthermore if he's worth that much but getting only 3.5m on a longer term he'd be easily tradeable if one of the prospects does take his spot, on top of which we may prefer to trade the prospect for even higher return.

 

[DAChampion]

If he's worth 4.5m for the next two years then I very much doubt the guys listed will be able to replace him.

I'm not convinced that Evans is worth 4.5 million over the next two years, but it's a situation where I think it's ok to overpay. It's only two years so an overpayment may be required, the Habs have cap flexibility for now.

 

[Tyson]

Reading an article about Evans by Stu Cowan and reading between the lines of some of the things Evans said it tells me he is out the door. He is looking forward to playing elsewhere, he didn't say that but he also didn't say he was hoping to stay in Montreal either. Time to move on.

 

[1909]

Reading an article about Evans by Stu Cowan and reading between the lines of some of the things Evans said it tells me he is out the door. He is looking forward to playing elsewhere, he didn't say that but he also didn't say he was hoping to stay in Montreal either. Time to move on.

If he really wants a 20M $+ contract, he is out without a doubt.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Evans have value short term. At his age and concussion history, I doubt we can expect he'll be that good at age 30, 21, 32... ?. He may be in shape for 25-26 and 26-27 and after that what could likely happen is injuries and declining. He's in his best career window and trading peak of his life. At age 32 there will be no takers, tx but no. Habs have to be good in 2026 so they can live to have another center in adapting to nhl. If the new center is young and part of your planning, to give him part time in the nhl is part of the process. In 2026 Habs have to free salary, so swipe for the new.